AfDB-Funded Contract Signed for Inga 1 Hydroelectric Plant Rehabilitation

With financial support from the African Development Bank (AfDB), the National Electricity Company (SNEL SA) signed a contract with the Chinese company China Gezhouba Group Company Limited (CGGC) for the rehabilitation of Group 6 (G16) of the Inga 1 hydroelectric plant in central Congo province. The signing took place on Tuesday, June 4, 2024, in Kinshasa, in the presence of senior executives from both parties.

This multilateral collaboration between SNEL SA, CGGC, and the AfDB aims to modernize and enhance the production capacity of the Inga 1 hydroelectric plant, significantly improving the electricity supply in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The contract signing for the rehabilitation of Group 6 marks a significant advancement in the energy sector, reflecting the commitment of all parties involved to achieve their shared objectives.

“Today, with the signing of this contract with CGGC, we are removing a machine from the network that has not been rehabilitated since 1972.

We already have four rehabilitated machines at Inga 1 (G11, G12, G14, and G15), and now we are going to modernize this machine to have 1.5 machines out of 6 rehabilitated at Inga,” stated SNEL Production Director Henri Makap to Muteb.

The Inga project, as a whole, has garnered significant interest. During his first visit to Kinshasa in July 2023, since President Félix Tshisekedi took office, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed readiness to mobilize investments for the project, which could boost several African economies.

Despite several unsuccessful attempts to finance the Grand Inga project, estimated at around $100 billion, President Ramaphosa advocated for increased participation from African investors.

This ambition was shared by President Tshisekedi, who stated, “I would like the Inga project to be an international project of several partnerships, especially African.”